We surveyed 3,831 high school teachers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical high school teacher. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a high school teacher?

Low

High

Working as a high school teacher typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.

Can I learn to become a high school teacher?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a high school teacher typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a high school teacher?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically difficult to find a job as a high school teacher. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for high school teachers.

Info

Do high school teachers work full-time or part-time?

89% of high school teachers work in full-time roles while 11% work part-time.

Is being a high school teacher stressful?

Low

High

Stress is very commonplace for high school teachers, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.

Is being organized important as a high school teacher?

Low

High

Some level of organization is generally required to be a high school teacher.

How competitive is the workplace for high school teachers?

Low

High

Competition at work is not common for high school teachers.

Does being a high school teacher require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

High school teachers will have to sometimes face time pressure on the job.

Are high school teachers allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

High school teachers are afforded a certain level of ability to express themselves creatively, compared to other careers.

Do high school teachers have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

High school teachers tend to have a set and inflexible work schedule that they are unable to deviate from too much.

Is being a high school teacher physically demanding?

Low

High

Being a high school teacher may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.

Are high school teachers exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

The workload of a high school teacher changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.

Does being a high school teacher require attention to detail?

Low

High

As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for high school teachers.

Does being a good high school teacher require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a high school teacher.